Barcelo Las Perlas Hotel

My goal: To get to and stay in Cancun during spring break (March 13-20) for as cheap as possible without sacrificing safety or fun.
I have to say it happened and it was a success. There is no reason to spend 800-1300 to stay at one of the posh places in cancun for spring break. 1st, you probably won't even be staying the night much at your room. 2nd, you don't really party much at your room. Save your money.
I found the Barcelo Club Las Perlas Hotel, all inclusive (food and drinks) for an insanely low price for a week. (220.00 for the entire week, with 2 of us sharing the room.).
I didn't use a travel agency, I didn't do one of the spring-break websites. I just did a lot of googling and found some random website with the deal. We booked RT airfare on a separate site, which cost us 300 each, bringing our spring break cost to about 450.00-470.00 each with taxes and fees included when it was all said and done, for an entire week. Not 4-5 days. That is insane for a week on spring break! Most people I talked with spent 700 minimum there (with air) and 800-1300 on average around the nicer places in Cancun.
This hotel is nothing special, but it certainly is do-able if you are in town to party. The rooms were just fine, clean, but not new or anything. The hotel is towards the end of the north strip, a bit closer to downtown Cancun than it is to all of the stuff on the south strip. However, you can easily hop on a bus for like 10-15pesos and get to wherever you need to go. In fact, I liked that it was closer to downtown Cancun - Walmart (I kid you not, there is one there) is super close. So you can buy what you need, save cash etc..There is a nice sandy beach right near the hotel, a nice dock for some water sports stuff and you can walk either direction on that beach for a good distance. The grounds were clean, the pools were pretty good if not unspectacular.
Aside from an exceptionally rude hotel manager that we got into an argument with, our stay was great. The first room we were set in, was rather dull and boring, not near any action. We requested a different room and lucked out I guess; we couldn't have been happier. Right near one of the pools, first floor with a sliding glass door to walk out into/onto the deck. Awesome. Easy bar access, easy pool access and easy beach access. They have a bunch of chairs, but if you wait too long, they do fill up. So don't be surprised if you go out to the beach and there is no where to sit except sand. When I tried to speak Spanish, the people at the hotel were very receptive to my butchering of the language, but they could tell I was giving an honest effort and I feel they may have been a little nicer for it.
The all inclusive food, not sot bad. Buffet style. You can only eat certain times of the day, so keep that in mind. The all inclusive drinks, just your typical garbage alcohol (well/bar brand). Well whatever, thats what any place is going to give you on spring break, trust me. This was my third time down there.
For spring break activities, avoid the local/hotel people who reside in those places and try and get you to book through them. Just bus down to Walmart, book there. Everything is about 25% less money. We did the booze cruise, party pack, scuba dive and chichen-itza ruins for 160usd each, which comes out to about 40 per event. HAGGLE. Few prices are written in stone down there, trust me.
If I can recommend anything, do the party pack. It may be called something else. Basically, you meet at Senior frogs and they take you (and only other people who paid) to clubs all night and you don't wait in line long, you get all the drinks you could want quickly with tips included. I think they asked for an extra 5-10 on the bus for the "never wait a minute for a drink" thing. It sounded like a scam at first, but it was the best thing ever, really. They took care of us, made sure we were all together and made sure we got in/out of the clubs and back where we needed to be...which is insane when you think about it. I mean, the clubs get packed! and people get wasted...
Again, if you can book this place cheap, its damn near a 10 on the value and location index. But it loses some points with just average food quality and being a bit old and the horrible encounter with the manager, which I don't think happens often and shouldn't be a factor for most people.

it was crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how ever the over all staff was all right drinks was all right but watered down needed loads to get pissed was also eaten alive by the big bugs through the hotel covering one of the pools so that attracted them the entertainment was good but finished early so had nothing to do for rest of night as had children with me all the entertainment was finished no later that ten the food was defentley crap as done the same every night and diffrent colourings to make it look different over all Mexico is a lovely place out side the hotel but the weather was not brill at times as time of year

Sorry folks but unfortunately this is a bad review. I was looking forward to spending 2 weeks at this hotel and I was sorely disappointed, it was not a good experience.
Before I rant and rave, I do have to say that the rooms were clean although they are very basic, however I would never have survived they were dirty.
The main problem with this hotel is the staff, they really are not helpful at all, everything seems hard work to them. If you ask for towels they pull their face. If you go back to bar for a coke they look at you as though you are abusing the all inclusive that you paid for.
The food was sickening and I mean literally sickening. Most of the hotel was ill and I lived off chip butties for 2 weeks. The food is all the same but called another name etc and it doesn’t look appealing never mind taste it.
Although they say they have security so that no sellers can come on, it really isn’t the case. You are constantly hassled when trying to relax. You expect it when you’re out in the towns but not when your semi naked trying to catch the rays.
Many people including myself had money and items taken from the room, yet we were not broke into. It was a terrible experience and I won’t go back to this hotel again.

Had a great time at this hotel when I stayed there for 2 weeks. Its in a prime spot on the white sandy beach and there is security on so you don’t get people hassling you when you try to relax etc. It was great.
The hotel itself is not the poshest I have been to but it is lovely and clean and the staff are fantastic. They really did help to make our holiday one of the best ever.
The food was great, there are some unusual dishes but hey that’s the beauty of being abroad, you can try new dishes that you would not normally try. Also the bar staff have a great laugh with you as do the beach hut staff.
Managed to do some water sports this year and the waters are fantastically clear. I would book for this hotel again.

Spent 2 weeks here and no way would I go back. I never got a cheap package deal when I booked and it cost me a fortune to take my children.
If there had been no nice weather my holiday would have been a nightmare as the hotel is a joke.
The maids can’t be trusted, the chef needs the sack and the bar staff are plain ignorant.
Think before you book because I would say... don't do it.

If you are a picky person you cannot stay here. I took 5 children over there and had 2 rooms and none of them were exactly good even though the holiday cost me over £4000.
I would never stay there again and I wouldn't recommend it to people who can get a better hotel for same price.
The staff at the front desk were not cooperative, the hotel maids did not wash our sheets they simply rotated them and thought we wouldn't know.
However the hotel policeman was fantastic and spent lots of time with my children who were fascinated with the fact that he carried a gun.
The food was appalling in the evening it was the same sort of meal each day but a different colour food colouring used or another vegetable added.
We made the kitchen staff make us what we wanted and although they said it had to be at a set time, they finally agreed to make it when the kids were hungry.
The beach was lovely and the guys in the beach hut were always helpful and friendly. However don’t eat dinner on the beach because the pelicans appear and they can get quite near you. That sounds fun until you see the size of their mouths and then all you can do is run ha-ha.
The rooms have mini bars in and I would advise you to put a padlock on and restock everything you use before it’s checked on your departure.
This will allow you to check out quickly as many of the people there were charged for items they had not used and they had to pay before their passports were given back.
They also tried to charge me for a sheet that they said I burnt with a cigarette which is pretty unbelievable when I don’t smoke. They wanted 40.00 off me however after heated conversations they finally returned my passports, but, please be careful if you do go as many people were in tears as they now had no money to pay to get out of the country.

An unbeatable holiday, simple but clean hotel with amazing views and fantastic staff and entertainment, made you feel really welcome. Free activities organised during the day and lead to the most popular clubs in the night.
Visit clubs like la boom, coco bongo, daddios and daddy rock to really experience the famous Cancun nightlife.
Participate in as many excursions as you can manage/afford, but don’t miss out on swimming with the dolphins and horse riding along the beach to make your holiday even more unforgettable.

1 reader found this review helpful

We were unfortunate enough to be in Cancun when Hurricane Wilma hit this year, a massive disaster for the area. I can safely say that without the staff of the hotel we would have been in grave danger. They moved us efficiently to a school shelter and essentially continued to run the hotel from there. In the midsts of 280kmh winds they supplied us with cooked food and drinks and ensured our utmost safety. I will forever be thankful to the staff, especially Josh.
Before the hurricane we were very pleased with the hotel. It was certainly worth the money. The rooms were very clean and comfortable, the food was delicious, with such a range of foods, the free drinks were brilliant (a little tip goes a long way) and the staff were fantastic. They always had a smile and chatted to you. They are very welcoming people.
The beach was clean, with sun loungers, possibly not enough. The sea isn't the clear blue that the Caribbean side is, but it's still nice.
After our experience I'd recommend anyone to go to this hotel. If that's how they looked after us in such awful conditions, then imagine how they can run a hotel on a daily basis.

In contrast to all the poor reviews that this hotel seems to get, a holiday is what you make it, and never more so than this holiday.
We were unfortunate to be in Cancun at the time of Hurricane Emily, but I have to say that the way that way the hotel handled the situation was amazing. We arrived on the Monday evening and were aware that the Hurricane was due to hit by the weekend. On the Saturday we were informed that all the hotel guests and staff would be evacuated to a shelter at 5.30am on the Sunday and to meet in the hotel lobby. All the guests were sent to a school in downtown Cancun on a fleet of buses.
Whilst the situation could have been your worst nightmare come true, the staff were incredible. The catering staff provided food throughout the day and a half that we spent at the shelter, and the entertainment staff were on hand to provide music and helped to keep spirits up.
We were kept informed throughout the day of the hurricane, and had to go to our rooms at about 7pm where we were looked after by security staff. Congratulations to all the people who helped to make the situation bearable and indeed who all bonded together to laugh at what was happening to us, and to actually make the 2 days almost enjoyable. Thanks again to everybody who 'mucked in' to tidy up the shelter, and once we were back to the hotel to everybody who helped tidy the beach, even empty the swimming pool and help with the maids to tidy up all the rooms.
Due to the effects of the hurricane, we were without a swimming pool for 3 days, the buffet restaurant and a couple of the bars, but it is a credit to everybody who stayed at the hotel that everybody just got on with it, and enjoyed the hotel for what it was. The conduct of the staff during our time at the shelter in not wanting our holiday to be ruined will be a lasting memory of this hotel, as they were amazing.
The food is fairly repetitive, but good nonetheless, and the a-la-care restaurant is very nice, particularly the coffee that is really a 'coffee show'.
Josh the entertainment guy deserves a special mention, as he works so hard, day and night !!
The only downside to this holiday is that the bars shut at 12 midnight prompt !
The bus service is outstanding, only 6.5 pesos into Cancun, and the buses literally run every 60 seconds and for 24 hours a day, and a taxi is only 500 pesos (5 dollars) back from Cancun.
We were fortunate to go to Chichen Itza the day before the hurricane and it is well worth a visit, but it is 3 hours away on the coach (including a visit to a handicrafts shop!), and the speedboats are excellent. The Pirate ship is also a good trip, but definitely try the bar crawl with the reps as this is a great night and you get to see 3 bars, and a nightclub with loads of drink included.
We also got to go to Coco Bongo’s, you must go there if you can !!

We went on holiday with our young son who was 18 months and my wife’s parents. We booked it a year in advance as we do most of our holidays and at time of booking it was advertised as a family hotel.
When we got there it was in the middle of a storm and was pouring with rain. We were given our keys and found that despite reception promising there was a cot in our room as promised and ordered in advance there wasn’t. Two visits to reception later and two maids were sent out into the rain with bedding and a maintenance man with the cot. We had to keep our son up for a while the bedding dried out.
We quickly realised that there were in fact no facilities at all for children despite all the staff being very friendly and constantly picking him up for a cuddle. There is no children’s pool or separate section to the large pool so while teaching him to swim one end we were constantly watching for footballs being thrown from the other end. We had a room overlooking the beach and were amazed at the people that got up and sneaked onto the beach at 5.30am in order to put their towels out on the beds near the three shade umbrellas and then go back to bed in order to reappear around 11am! The rest of us were at the sun’s mercy and it does get very hot. Hardly any shade around the pool either.
The shows in the evening were okay except between June and September is the rainy season and not only does that mean hurricane’s and tropical storms but worse than that midges constantly biting you in the evenings. We were getting approx. 6 bites each per night and dealing with a bitten baby in the morning when they come up is not easy! Not the hotel’s fault but it meant we spent the final week’s evenings in our rooms playing cards rather than risk going out and get bitten alive.
To sum up the reception staff and all the Cancun people in general were very pleasant and I remain in touch with a couple by E Mail but it is not suitable for young families. When we got home to complain to Thomson we found they had amended their brochure to a couples hotel rather than family and from speaking to the staff out their it is due to become an 18 to 30 hotel in 2006 which I must say it is very suited to.